I'll second that. I'm all for keeping out of danger if you can avoid it. It's only if you fail with the awareness/avoidance/escape that you really need to know MA or other physical methods of self defense. No one's perfect and real self defense situations are unpredictable. Remember, you can't defend against a knife to the gut if you don't expect it and don't see it coming.

ps Alot of people are lately saying that muay thai is superior to wing chun and kung fu styles...Is this true, because I want to know before starting a new martial art(note:I've been doing taekwondo for 2-3 years).

Muay Thai guys tend to train a lot tougher and with more contact than Wing Chun. This isn't everyone's cup of tea and you can get hurt if you play along and don't make it clear that you don't want to compete. If you do want to compete and don't mind getting hit around the head a bit and risking a bit more in the broken ribs department, Muay Thai is definitely for you. That said, theoretically WC and Ninjutsu have similarly dangerous and effective techniques, so if you find the right school, they can be just as effective. Also, Muay Thai training tends to jump you right into high contact levels, whereas WC and Ninjutsu tend to build up to that gradually, if at all (this can vary from school to school).

The WC school you posted seems to be a little less fighting oriented because the first thing they mention on the video is how relaxing WC is. This is not a good start. Plus, the techniques don't seem to be trained against a resisting opponent. If you are interested in more contact than that and learning how to defend yourself better, but you like the style, try Jeet Kune Do. It tends to be more dynamic than regular Wing Chun but with similar roots.

Yeah that's the thing that is worrying me about that school, and the slow movements of the master kind of seemed impractical, and that jim fung guy has trained in tai chi(forgive me for spelling), which makes me think it is not very practical.

Thing about jeet kune do, I heard that no one actually does it right like bruce lee made it, and knowing wing chun first is better. Of course these are just rumours I have heard.

I basically want an art which is practical on the street, not too soft and does not depend on force only. But for some reason things like jujitsu look very unattractive to me lol. JKD sounds nice, but I am worried due to the reason above.

Do you have any advice for searching for a wing chun, muay thai or jeet kune do school?

Bruce Lee himself said that Jeet Kune Do is not a style but a philosophy. You can't do JKD "right", you just do it the way that's right for you. Knowledge of Wing Chun is not essential for learning JKD although most JKD schools teach a bit of WC inside their syllabus. Plenty of people teach JKD very well these days and include techniques from many other MA, including Muay Thai and BJJ.

I would say to check your local phone directory first off and see what schools there are in your area. It's unrealistic to go to a school in the next state after all . You can also ask in martial arts stores if they know where classes are held, they tend to be well informed about that sort of thing. If you pay attention, you'll find ads for MA schools in the strangest places (where I live, barber shops are the best places to find out about martial arts training). If all else fails, google it and come here for opinions.

When you find some schools which appear to interest you, do a bit of reading up on what each MA is all about. Beware false representations of MA, there is a lot of exaggeration out there. If the claims they make are rediculous, keep your wits about you, it may be a scam.

Then visit the schools (make an appointment or whatever) and take a look at how the classes are taught. If the atmosphere is hostile, restrictive or narrowminded, don't attend the school. If they offer free introductory classes (which many schools do) give them a try and see if you enjoy the lessons there. Don't expect to be able to do all the techniques on the first lesson. Usually it takes 3-5 months to learn a decent basic set of techniques and 3-4 years to become reasonably competent in an MA. (I've been doing MA for 17 years now and I've still got a long way to go to being an expert)

Keep in mind the fact that you are looking for self defense. If there is hardly any contact, it's probably not going to suit you. Make sure the contact levels are what you're comfortable with.

ninjutsu/ninpo looks like japanese jujutsu. if you don't know what jujutsu looks like, it's kind of like a combination between aikido and judo. try genbukan for a good idea of ninpo. it can be very hard or soft, and teaches a lot about movement and footwork.

Thing about jeet kune do, I heard that no one actually does it right like bruce lee made it

JKD is in a nutshell, the concept of not slavishly following one system, and trying to make it work for you, rather, looking for common 'truths' that present themselves in all fighting styles, and taking on board the principles and techniques that work for you as an individual.

As true JKD is a persons unique interpretation of their martial experience, the only person who did JKD like Bruce Lee, was Bruce Lee.

The more formalised JKD schools that stem from his students branching out and continuing his work can be split into 2 main groups. Those that have Jun fan as a major influence (Bruce Lee's core art), and those that are more influenced by Filipino arts, as developed and popularised by Dan Inosanto (Bruce's senior student).

The JKD we study is of the inosanto lineage, but also with more ground work as my instructor is a very experienced Sombo instructor.

In true JKD fashion, what you take from the training in terms of actual techniques is what you feel comfortable with, what is more important is what you learn about footwork, reading an oponent and enjoying diversity that allows you to take advantage of any opening that presents itself.

As for 'what is best for teh str33t'. Honest answer? Punch the f*cker in the face till he falls helpless on the floor, whilst at the same time keeping your chin out of the way. What system you decide to help teach you to do that is up to you, but it will always boil down to much the same thing in a real fight.

Quote: As for 'what is best for teh str33t'. Honest answer? Punch the f*cker in the face till he falls helpless on the floor, whilst at the same time keeping your chin out of the way.

That sounds like something my late Father said to me years ago. There was a bully at my school who had something against me. I wasn't too afraid of him, but I knew he would not hesitate to start a fight in school and I did not want to get in trouble. My Dad asked me what the first thing the bully would most likely do and I said he would probably come up and push me. My Dad said that if he did that, to punch him 5 times in the face (not 4, not 6, but 5). When I told him I did not want to get suspended for fighting, he said for ME to worry about the bully and HE would take care of any aftermath.